The Empire follows a strict class system based on power.
At first glance, this might seem obvious, but newcomers to the imperial palace often find themselves taken aback by the reality of it.
Once you experience it, you might think, “Is it really this extreme?”
A prime example of this is the difference in the size of the residences where the princes and princesses reside.
The palace where the First Prince lives is grand and imposing. It’s the only residence aside from the Emperor’s that is officially called a ‘palace,’ which carries significant meaning.
The Second Princess recently moved to a new residence. This change came after she ascended to the status of a hero, greatly expanding her power. While her residence is not called a palace, its size rivals that of the First Prince’s, and considering its modern architecture, it might even be more valuable.
On the other hand, there’s the Third Princess, Yulia Estrid.
Her residence is hardly different from that of an ordinary commoner’s home. Of course, it has some obligatory decorations befitting a royal family member, but it’s still smaller than the Emperor’s stables.
In one of the tiny storage rooms of this humble residence, Lloyd stood by the bed, peering through a small window that barely provided a view of a building.
The lavish residence of the Second Princess.
Aina Estrid.
‘…’
At this point, curiosity began to gnaw at him.
Aina Estrid.
How well was she doing, the woman who had played a part in his execution?
“Just sign the document.”
Today, the proposal for establishing an organization initiated by Princess Yulia, or more precisely, by Lloyd, would be presented to Aina.
If she signed it, Lloyd could kill two birds with one stone.
One, he could escape from the palace.
And two, the potential failure of the organization could entangle Aina in a web of her own making.
In short, he would gain a small blade to wield against her.
Though he still suppressed his desire for revenge.
But…
“I should at least prepare my cards.”
Lloyd’s eyes flashed red for a brief moment.
◆
The walls made of marble stacked upon one another, and the exterior adorned with gold leaf was beyond luxurious—it was opulent.
In the largest office of this building, Second Princess Aina was listening to a report.
“We still haven’t found the boy with the Hero’s mark. We’ve been searching the entire country, but…”
“But what?”
“The situation is proving difficult.”
“Sir Kyle. Are you really reporting so confidently that you can’t find a mere child?”
Kyle, Aina’s direct knight and the Vice-Captain of the White Knights, was currently receiving a scolding from Aina.
His cold, blue hair and metal-framed glasses reflected the light with a cold gleam in his eyes.
“Your Highness, it’s not just a mere child…”
“Hah.”
She sighed deeply.
It was obvious to anyone that she was blaming Kyle.
Before becoming a hero, she had been a rather polite princess.
Kyle recalled how Aina had been before joining the Hero’s Party.
— ‘Hello, Sir Knight! I want to become a cool swordsman like you!’
The young Aina had been honest, proactive, and a hard worker.
Even Kyle, who was just an ordinary knight at the time and extremely busy, felt compelled to dedicate his time and energy to her training.
He thought she would become a true and noble knight.
But now, Aina…
“With this performance, one might question if the White Knights are truly the greatest knight order of the royal family. If the deputy commander himself can’t even find a single boy, how do you expect to advance in your career?”
She was no longer someone he could call a swordsman.
Instead of focusing on the sword, she was preoccupied with power and politics—just another princess.
Kyle asked in a somewhat dazed manner.
“… Advance in my career?”
“Yes. Although I still have some affection for you since you taught me the sword when I was young, I do hope you handle your duties well.”
“I will do my best.”
This was the only reply he could give.
A knight must obey their lord, no matter what kind of person they are.
Kyle felt a bitter taste in his mouth as he bowed his head.
But Aina was persistent.
She asked one more time.
“How do you plan to continue the search?”
“… There are a few boys who were sold to the Grey Duchess at an auction. I’m thinking of investigating that lead.”
“Fine. Doing something is better than doing nothing.”
Whew.
With that, Aina turned her head away.
Regardless of what her subordinate knight was feeling, Aina moved on to the next document.
‘Haa.’
Aina had a lot of paperwork to handle.
Having so much work was a form of honor.
The closer the Emperor’s children were to the succession line, the more burdensome tasks they were assigned. It was a test of their suitability for the throne.
The workload Aina was currently facing was only slightly less intense than that of the First Prince.
This meant that, in the eyes of the Emperor and the Elder Council, Aina’s position in the succession line was close to the First Prince’s.
‘I must achieve good results somehow.’
She flipped through the documents.
Then, one particular document caught her eye.
“… Yulia Estrid?”
Submitted by Yulia Estrid.
Proposal: The establishment of a Royal Social Sciences Research Institute.
The official in charge of handling the document reported.
“Princess Yulia wishes to conduct research on the human mind.”
“… The human mind?”
“Yes. She intends to analyze why different people interpret the same words differently. She also wants to study the madness that appears when people gather in groups…”
Aina licked her lips with a dry tongue.
‘There’s something about Yulia that I just can’t shake off.’
In truth, Aina didn’t care much about what Yulia was planning.
What mattered was that Yulia was also a potential heir.
Although she was far behind, she was still someone who needed to be kept in check.
What exactly is she trying to do?
“Should I keep an eye on her?”
Ignoring her subordinate’s report, Aina’s gaze lingered on a particular line in the document.
– Location for the establishment: Easton.
Easton was a city on the outskirts of the capital.
For an heir to move out of the palace was almost equivalent to giving up their claim to the throne.
The unease she had felt began to dissipate.
Unaware that this was precisely Lloyd’s intention, Aina nodded.
“That child, Yulia, has always liked these foolish things.”
Thud.
Aina stamped the document with her seal.
◆
“Lloyd!”
The next day.
As Lloyd lay sprawled out, resting in his chicken coop-like quarters, the door suddenly burst open.
Standing there was Princess Yulia, clutching the approved documents for the organization’s establishment in one hand.
… Somehow, it feels like she’s losing her dignity day by day.
Lloyd, who had been curious about her increasingly disheveled appearance, shook his head to clear away the useless thoughts.
“Did it get approved?”
“Of course!”
“That’s good to hear.”
Lloyd pulled the blanket over himself again.
It was still 4 in the morning.
Having spent the previous night doing menial chores like cleaning the mansion, Lloyd was in desperate need of sleep.
But it seemed that Yulia was determined to keep Lloyd from getting any rest.
She approached him.
“I never would have guessed that Aina would actually approve my documents! It’s unbelievable!”
“Was it really that difficult?”
“Of course!”
When Yulia first conceived the plan to establish the organization, she had agonized over it. She had been convinced that Princess Aina would try to block her at every turn.
That’s why Yulia had reached out to others outside the Estrid bloodline, like the Duchess.
It was all to escape Aina’s relentless interference.
Of course, the result could have been disastrous.
‘Well, I guess luck was on my side.’
In any case…
Lloyd glanced out the window.
Damn it, dawn was breaking.
It was clear that going back to sleep was out of the question.
‘Haa.‘
He sighed and got up from his bed.
After roughly straightening his hair, he turned his head, and his eyes met Yulia’s, who was watching him with a bright, excited expression.
“… Do you have anything else to say?”
It seemed as if the roles of master and subordinate had been reversed.
But Yulia didn’t mind and nodded eagerly.
She definitely seemed to be in high spirits.
“Yes! This is the first time something like this has happened! Will you celebrate with me a little longer?”
“Haa.”
… Who is this girl who seems to have a field of flowers blooming in her head? Lloyd was genuinely curious about where the Yulia with piercing blue eyes, who once pressured him with her intensity, had gone. Still, he had a duty to perform. After all, she had purchased him for 1 billion Krone.
“Congratulations.”
“There’s no soul in that!”
“Yes. Because that’s the truth.”
Of course, it was a significant move that granted Yulia more freedom, gave her a means to challenge Aina, and provided Lloyd with some security.
But it was still too early to be completely joyful.
Establishing the research institute required dealing with many other administrative procedures.
“Princess Yulia, you still have a long way to go.”
Yulia was so far behind that the saying “starting is half the battle” was meaningless.
“Well, I agree with that.”
Plop.
Yulia plopped down on the edge of the bed as she spoke.
“This is dirty. It’s a servant’s bed. What if someone sees you?”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s dawn. Who’s going to be awake at this hour?”
… If you knew that, you shouldn’t have come.
Lloyd kept his grumbling to himself as Yulia asked him another question.
“Tell me more. What should I do next?”
“Why are you asking a servant such things? My shoulders are too sore to speak after mopping the floors last night.”
“Stop exaggerating.”
Lloyd simply shrugged and fell silent.
Negotiation is best done at times like this—when the other party is in a position of need, when they long for every word you say, and when they can understand your desires without you having to voice them.
Yulia had initially placed Lloyd in the role of a trainee servant, not fully trusting him.
Naturally, Lloyd was dissatisfied with this.
“…”
And Princess Yulia was smart enough to grasp the terms Lloyd was implicitly negotiating for.
After wetting her lips for a moment, she spoke.
“Alright. I’ll trust you. You can stop cleaning from now on.”
“And then?”
“From now on, Lloyd, you’re my advisor.”
Yulia held out her pure white hand.
The hand held out by the Princess of Rebellion.
“Very well.”
Lloyd smiled and shook her hand.
